The Lower Elements Chronicles: To The Grave (Book 1)
by fairygirl2004
Summary: Two months after TLG and Artemis still doesn’t remember his past and his health has taken a downturn. Holly has completely shut out the world after hearing the news. When something terrible happens at the manor they need Holly’s help but will she be able to handle her emotions and solve the case?
1. Prologue

**Hi people. So happy to start on FanFiction. So just a quick warning, this story contains some frightening crimes(although really it's not that bad) and mild language(but again not that bad). Also if you're a brand new Fowl fan DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU LIKE SPOILERS!!!!!**

 **Also I do not own Artemis Fowl or any of the music mentioned in this story**

 **That is all people**

 ** _Prologue_**

How does one describe Artemis Fowl? A genius,a criminal, a hero even? Or perhaps a dead boy walking. While all these may be true,why would someone of such intelligence use one of his own plans to get himself killed? Well there is only one individual who can answer this question,however, due to unfortunate circumstances,he is no longer around... Well that is not entirely true,but we shall get to that later. The general 'why' he sacrificed himself was to simply save the two worlds from total destruction. You may ask if you and I are speaking of the same person. Why, Artemis Fowl, the world's teenage criminal mastermind actually sacrifices his life to save it? Well believe it.

Him being the genius that he is, he had a backup plan if anything should happen to him. The boy left his own DNA to his most trusted friends so they could grow a clone and save him. By this point when they found out, his family had accepted his death. His will was found as well as settled, privately with the individuals whom he had left his possessions to.

You may ask 'why would cloning the boy save him?' or 'aren't clones just soulless, brain dead creatures?'. Well if the whole incident was explained here and now, we would be here for hours. I will tell you that it was on the same day when the infamous pixie, Opal Koboi had raised her army of ancient fairy warriors who had died in the battle ten thousand years ago. To speed things up, Artemis and his friends put a stop to her and saved both worlds. But in the end, Artemis had faced the same fate as the ghost warriors did ten thousand years before. The same spell that trapped their souls in this realm did the same to the young boy, resulting in his death. Of course he knew this would happen, otherwise he wouldn't have lef his DNA.

Anyway, six months later the clone was fully grown and transported to the site of his death. His soul was still tethered to the mortal realm and inhabited the clone(just a new body if you ask me).

However there was a price. The boy had no memory of himself, his adventures, even his loved ones. Now, two months later, his memory was improving slowly but his health had taken a downturn. His room now practically a hospital room with the centaur, Foaly monitoring him on a daily basis. Since their recent knowledge of The People, Artemis Senior and Angeline Fowl have been funding Foaly's research to save their son. It would take a long time before Foaly had answers though.

The Fowls held a conference with Artemis' friends about the new project and what the plan for him was. Not all of his friends were present,however. Since his health dropped, Artemis' close friend, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon unit locked herself away from the rest of the world. Nobody under the Earth heard from her. She began calling in sick at work, locking herself in her apartment, neglecting calls from anyone, and going out at night doing the Gods know what! Her career was on the line. The only emotions filling her head now were anger, grief, and pure guilt. Artemis kept asking about her the last few weeks. He said that he remembered a little more about her but I his condition, that light quickly burns out. Foaly concluded that her company would be beneficial to his memory and quite possibly his health, but he had no way to contact her.

People wondered if the two would be like this for the rest of their lives. Would Artemis ever be cured? Will Holly return to her life in the LEP? Well I'll tell you that Holly does come back for a very special case. As for Artemis, he is the case. And it all begins with a robbery. But not the kind of robbery you would think. This was a robbery that would change everything for the residents of Fowl Manor and the fairy People forever.


	2. Chapter One: Right in Front of You

**Sup fellow fans. This is just to say hi. Here's the first chapter**

 ** _Fowl Manor, Now_**

"Did you bring it?"

"Right here", the centaur, Foaly said putting down a large cardboard box. "With all these funds coming in from the Fowls, we've been able to get more shipments in."

"Good",Butler sighed. "Do what you can"

Foaly nodded sympathetically. He knew it had not been easy for the residents of Fowl Manor lately. It had been only months since the berserker incident and Artemis' funeral. His medical report did not make things any easier. Artemis' cloned self was diagnosed with organ failure and white blood cell drop. Foaly had been working up theories of the cause for weeks, running every single solution he had.

 _Could it just be the clone,_ he thought.

He mentioned the thought of moving Artemis to a Haven research hospital, but the Fowls were opposed to this.

Foaly was just about to explain his new theory to Butler when Juliet came into the conference room,exhausted.

"I finally got the twins out of my hair",she huffed. "They won't stop going on and on about Artemis".

Juliet was on a break from her recent wrestling tour to help out around the mansion.

"You wouldn't believe it! I found them trying to bust the key-card lock"

Foaly sighed and rolled his eyes. "Great, now I have to order a four-old proof lock".

"I see the new equipment arrived", Juliet nodded towards the box on the table.

"Just came in today",he replied. Foaly picked the box up from the table. "I'm going to set these up. Then make a few calls for a lock".

Foaly was so paranoid about anything else happening to Artemis so he had a key-card lock installed on his bedroom door. You can only get in if you have a key-card and if you are not ill, hence his immune system failing. But now that Myles and Beckett almost broke in, they had to get a new one quickly before the germ infested boys can get in.

"Don't let the twins see you", Juliet warned Foaly as he trotted out the door.

Butler turned to his sister. "Did you call her?"

Juliet threw her arms up in frustration. "I tried",she sighed. "Nothing. Are you sure this fairy communicator is working?"

She pulled the device Butler had given her from her pocket.

"The communicator works fine", Butler took the device from her. "She's just not answering".

"We haven't heard from her in months. Don't tell me that she's still upset".

Butler shook his head. "She blames herself".

Juliet rolled her eyes. "Please. There was nothing Holly could have done. It was his choice".

"And Holly thinks he shouldn't have been the one to make it!"

"She's being ridiculous!", Juliet exclaimed. "Everyone is right here, doing something while she goes off the grid,still grieving".

"Holly needs time, Juliet", Butler was getting annoyed with his sister. "You should know that people grieving in different ways"

"We're all still grieving!"

The Butler siblings just stood there glaring. They knew that this debate could go on for an eternity. Every word that they said of the matter pained them, but it was the honest truth.

The manor, over the past few months got colder and quieter with everything that's happened. Everyone hated talking about it, but it was the only dinner conversation anymore.

The subject of Holly's wellbeing was just as difficult. Holly had not spoken to any of them in months. After they were all informed about Artemis' condition, she had a mental breakdown and shut them all out.

Everyone felt sympathetic towards Holly, but Juliet believed that she was being overdramatic. Holly was in a state where she needed her friends the most, but no, the only way people knew she was still alive was from her emails to work, calling in sick. Juliet had enough of this. She was on the verge of taking a shuttle down to Haven herself and dragging Holly out of her house by her pointed ear.

Juliet and her brother decided to drop the conversation, for now.

Juliet sighed. "I'll go check on the twins".

With that, she turned, whiplashing her blonde hair and slammed the conference room door behind her.

Butler sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. His sister was so stubborn about the subject.

The large Eurasian man looked around the conference room in Fowl Manor. In the middle of the room stood a long table with chairs all around it as you would expect. On one wall hung a wide window looking over the courtyard. It was dark with some natural light coming through the window. Although maybe this room just had a dark environment. It was the same conference room where they learned of Artemis medical report.

Butler remembered how shocked everyone was, then there was Holly. That day was the last day they saw her.

Butler walked over to the corner with more of Foaly's boxes piled and picked one one up. He might as well help the centaur out.

Butler reached the bedroom door and got out his key-card and swiped it through the lock.

The first thing he saw when he walked in was all the machinery. Monitors and IV's that were all connected to the boy laying on the bed in the center of the room. It was truly, a heartbreaking sight.

Foaly was standing next to one monitors by the sleeping Mud Boy. He's was recording information when Butler came in.

"Here's some more equipment", Butler said, setting the box on the floor.

The paranoid centaur jumped when he heard Butler speak. He'd been so concentrated in his work,would it kill people to leave him that way.

Foaly glared at Butler but said nothing. Butler shot him a warning back so Foaly stepped down.

"Thanks", Foaly said grudgingly then turned to continue recording the data.

Butler looked at his charge sleeping in the bed in front of him. He looked terrible. His skin, even paler then it normally was. His hair, unruly and a little longer. He had a breathing tube down his throat. He was hanging on for dear life.

Butler could not take his eyes off the boy. The boy he was supposed to protect. Just the sight of him brought a flood of memories of the horrors they had faced what seemed like a lifetime ago.

 _Perhaps, that's why Holly left_ , Butler thought.

"Any news?", Butler asked Foaly.

Foaly looked up and sighed. "Well, his white blood cell count hasn't dropped more, but it hasn't gone up either. Same as far as his organs go".

ButLet crossed his arms. "That's good news for now".

Foaly walked over to a tray with vials of liquid in them.

"I should run some more tests", the centaur explained. "Now that I have the d-"

He was interrupted by a blaring alarm. Butler knew that alarm all to well. That only meant one thing. Someone was in the manor.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Juliet was walking down the hall, muttering to herself after her argument with her brother.

" 'She blames herself', 'that's why she left'", she said in a mocking tone. "Huh, please! Someone needs to drag her out of her hole".

When Juliet reached the twins bedroom, she hoped to see two behaving four-year olds, but instead she saw the two with a toolbox and a small contraption which she assumed was for the key-card lock.

Juliet felt her face heat up.

"What.Do.You.Think.YOU'RE DOING!", she screamed.

The two looked up at her innocently.

"Myles was showing me his exploding box", Beckett pointed ant his brother.

"Beckett,you simpletoon", Myles whisper yelled.

Juliet had enough of people today. "Myles don't call your brother a-"

That's when the alarm went off.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Butler and Foaly raced to the security room, The burglar alarm echoed throughout the manor.

They reached the security room and Butler quickly unlocked the door. The security room was small. One wall, mounted with screen monitors and a computer. Flashing red light flooded the room.

Butler sat in the chair in front of the computer and logged on. Foaly watched the monitors for the intruder.

"Where is it coming from?!",Foaly asked.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out!",Butler yelled.

As Butler surfed the network,trying to find the source of the alarm trigger, Juliet came running in to see what all the fuss was about.

"What's going on",she asked concerned.

"Someone triggered the alarm!", Foaly yelled frantically.

Foaly often got paranoid at times like this.

"Juliet gave him an annoyed look. "Well I figured that much".

"Then why did you ask?", Foaly shot back.

"Are the twins safe",Butler asked Juliet.

Juliet nodded. "They're in the panic room. Now would someone tell me what's going on!".

Butler ignored hos sister. He kept searching for exactly where in the manor the alarm went off.

However, there were no hits in Fowl Manor.

As the alarm kept blaring in their ears, Butler thought about how this could be. Then a terrible thought occurred to him.

Juliet saw her brother lift his hands from the keyboard.

"Dom,what's wrong".

She only used his first name when she was really worried.

"The alarm wasn't set in the manor", he said without looking up from the screen.

"Well,where else could it have?",the paranoid centaur asked.

Butler stood to face them. They could tell he was worried by the look in his eyes.

Juliet and Foaly looked at each other then back to Butler.

Butler sighed. "Artemis's grave".

Juliet and Foaly were shocked. Butler soon ran out the door, Foaly followed. Juliet stayed where she was.

"Since when do you put an alarm on a headstone",she yelled at them before joining.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Butler, Juliet, and Foaly sprinted down the hill on the Fowl estate. The alarm set off was the one placed on Artemis' grave shortly after his funeral.

As soon as they reached the top of the hill, the could see the entire estate. It really was breathtaking on a sunny day like this. But this was no time for sight seeing. At the bottom of the hill, they could see the ring of orange roses that grew next to the grave.

The group continued down the hill with haste. Juliet ran ahead of the others.

She was about to reach the front of the headstone when she froze next to it on the side and gasped.

"Juliet!",Butler called.

Juliet just stood there like a statue. Foaly and Butler came over to see what she was staring at. When they saw it, they too froze in shock.

"Oh my God", Juliet whispered with her hands covering her mouth. Tears welling up in her eyes.

They all couldn't believe their eyes. What they saw was absolutely horrible.

What the saw was a dugout, open grave. At the bottom was a small wooden casket with the top pried off. Inside the casket was nothing. That was the worst part. The empty casket meant one thing. Artemis Fowl the Second's body was stolen from his grave.

 **Oh cliffhanger. What have I become. More to come soon people.**


	3. Chapter Two: Hope is What You Make of It

**Hey people. Sorry for that scene in the last chapter but hey it's a story plot. And a grave robbery is a good plot.**

 **Since it's fan fiction I believe it is safe to say I really don't own anything besides the plot. I don't understand why I need to say this since it IS fan fiction but better to be safe than sorry. Well I'll shut up now**

 **Enjoy.**

 **-Kaylin H**

 **Haven City**

Despite the rumors heating up in the underground city of Haven, Holly Short was not an undercover cult member, not going on random surface runs, and most definitely not seeing someone. _Gods._

Holly was growing more tired of these ridiculous rumors. And they were spreading like wildfire. I mean,undercover cult member;come on! Still, the People couldn't seem to mind their own business or stop whispering to one another while she crossed the street. Seriously, all she was doing was heading for a hair appointment. The surface shuttle port is on the other side of the city, people.

 _The surface_

Holly hadn't gone to surface in months, not even to complete the ritual. Not since... well, it didn't matter.

In truth, the People worried about her. The once rebellious, sarcastic humored, care free LEP captain just one day stopped smiling that brilliant smile, never cracked a sarcastic joke, or even strapped on a pair of wings and set skyward in those past two months. Even on days where the city was lit up and lively, she remained concealed in her shell.

Holly was walking back to her apartment after her hair appointment. She wasn't wearing her typical LEP uniform but civilian clothing instead. She wore a pullover grey hoodie, washed out ripped jeans, and black boots. She's changed her looks these past few months. Her hair now hung above her shoulders in a simple bob cut. Her brand new blue-green highlights shone in her wavy auburn locks.

She always found small distractions to help keep her mind off... recent events. So why not color your hair.

As Holly strolled down the block, she couldn't help but notice fairies stares in her direction whispering to their neighbor. She listened as they watched her with curious eyes, accusing her of things she would not be caught dead doing.

She was able to listen in on the conversations surrounding her.

"Isn't that the LEP captain from the news?"

"I thought she quit the LEP".

"Nah, she's just on a long break"

"I heard that she got a bad injury that mentally scarred her for life".

"Ridiculous! I heard that some friend of hers died and the LEP let her go".

Holly shot the pixie youth who confirmed that last one a death glare, feeling her face heating up not a second later.

She put her hood up and continued down the street. Holly promised herself that she wouldn't let these rumors get to her head. That last one, however, stung. Just how much did the public know?

Holly felt tears welling in her eyes as took her earbuds and phone out from her back pocket and select "Calm Down" by Krewella from her Mud Man music list.

There was no doubt that our good captain has changed due to these unfortunate events. She used ito not let anyone or anything hold her down and put the People first and emotions second; now, she felt as if she's been strong for too long. She shut the world out so she could explore her emotions on her own. She found small changes her best idea for coping, dying her hair for instance or introducing herself to human EDM music (which she found herself loving, especially Krewella).

If you to look at her now, you may think that this was just a harmless mood swing and she would get over it soon. But if you truly looked deep in eyes you could see her insides burning. Her emotions battling against one another as she carried on her grief.

The elf was about to turn the next corner when she thought she heard an ear splitting cry for help through her music. She froze in her tracks, took her earbuds out and listened...

"Quiet, kid!", she heard a gruff voice bellow.

The LEP captain slowly made her way to the next alley entrance and duck behind a trash can. Two fairies, one elf, one large sprite had a younger sprite pinned to the wall. The poor sprite looked scared out of his mind.

"We'll just take what you have and be on our way", the elf snarled.

"P-Please, I'm telling y-you. I don't have anything", the smaller sprite stuttered

"Shut up!", the elf ordered.

Holly felt her police instincts kick in as she formed a plan.

"We're not gonna hurt you unless you give us problems. Clear?"

The sprite nodded and the elf set him down. That's when Holly abandoned her hiding place to face them.

"Hey!",she screamed to get their attention.

The three all turned their heads in her direction.

"Here's how it's going to work",she started. "You put him down and walk away before things get messy. And we wouldn't want that now would we?"

The two big fairies took a long glance at Holly before they looked towards each other and started laughing.

"Yeah, and what are you gonna do, girly? You think you can take us".

Holly smiled sickly. "Funny you should ask, cause it seems like I just might".

Before the elf giant could even blink, Holly advanced and whacked him in between the the eyes. She thought she heard a crack before the other elf hit the ground.

The bigger of the sprites present dropped the smaller one and lunged for Holly. She slipped out of the way as her attacker tripped on his own feet and hit the hard concrete.

Holly stood and walked over to the two unconscious figures to make sure they _were unconscious. That was easier than I thought, she thought to herself._ She turned to the adolescent sprite, trembling on the ground and held out a hand to help him up.

"You okay, kid?"

"Y-yeah, thanks",he muttered. "If you didn't show up I would be dead meat".

"No need to thank me. It's my job",she paused "Or it was".

The young sprite took at moment to get a good look at her.

"Hey, you're that LEP captain from the news. Holly right?"

Holly looked stunned. "Yeah that's me. The media can't seem to mind their own d'arvitting business", she looked down at her feet.

"Hey I never believed those silly rumors anyway", he assured her. "Whatever the real story is, I hope you work through it".

"Thanks, kid",she smiled.

"No problem".

"Okay, listen. I want you to call the LEP now before they wake up", she nodded towards the unconscious fairies. "Make sure you tell them everything but don't mention my name and don't make the call until after I leave. Commander Kelp would drag me back to the Plaza and have my head".

The sprite understood and nodded.

"Okay, once I leave make the call", with that, Holly turned to walk out of the alley.

"Wait, Captain!"

Holly turned towards him "Yeah?"

"Thanks again"

Holly smiled and nodded in return then continued her way to her apartment.

Awhile later when she made it to her complex, she noticed the environment seemed a little off. _Maybe I'm just being paranoid,_ she thought. But when she reached her automatic door she saw it wide open and the key pad fried. She barged in, ready for a fight,but when she looked around she saw that no one was there and everything didn't seem to have been missed placed.

Her apartment was small but homey. The kitchen and living room in one area while the two doors on the other side lead to the bathroom and bedroom. Nothing seemed to be tampered with but she kept her guard up. Then she heard something from a dark corner in the kitchen area. Almost like... a clomping of hooves? She studied harder and saw a large,dark figure there, not paying any attention to her.

"Who's there!", she demanded. She looked around the room for something to defend herself with. In the corner of her eye, she saw a metal flower vase. She dumped the flowers onto the carpet and got into position. "I won't ask again!". She raised the vase higher as a warning.

The figure was now definitely, paying attention to the elf. They slowly reached for the kitchen light switch and flicked it on.

"Woah,Captain. No need for that"

Holly sighed in relief and lowered the vase. "Foaly, don't scare me like that".

The centaur looked shocked. "Me? You're the one threatening to bash me in the head with a vase, might I remind you!"

Holly scoffed. "Only because _someone_ broke into MY apartment, might I remind YOU!", she mocked.

Foaly sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I had that coming".

They stood in silence for a few moments, taking it all in. Nether one of them had seen the other in months. Foaly was so worried about his friend and right now he just wanted to embrace her and ask if she was alright, but he knew she needed space. Foaly finally broke the silence.

"Holly-"

Holly cut him off. "What are you doing here, Foaly?".

He sighed and walked over to his friend. He hesitated to tell her what happened on the surface. Considering how she reacted to the medical records, how would she react to this. "Holly something happened", he began. "On the surface".

"Don't tell me", Holly cut in holding a warning hand. "Something happened to the Mud Boy and you want me there".

"Well technically speaking-"

She lowered her head, shaking it. "I knew it",she muttered.

Foaly reached a hand towards her. "Holly".

"No,Foaly",she backed away from his reach. "Forget it".

This was the kind of reaction Foaly had feared. He wanted to help her,but knowing how stubborn Holly was, made it impossible. "Holly listen to me", he urged on. "Eight months ago, when we found a way to save him, you were willing to break every rule in the Book for him" He grabbed her shoulders and made her face him. "You didn't care if it was illegal or what the costs were. You knew that it would work. Why? Because back then you actually had hope".

Holly shrugged off his hold on her shoulders. She walked over to one of the chairs in the living room area and sat down. Foaly watched as she hung her head and started making small noises. Foaly couldn't tell if she was crying, but as he listened carefully, he found that she was laughing.

He raised an eyebrow at her, concerned. How could she be laughing. When she finally stopped he saw tears forming in her eyes.

"Hope, Foaly?",sadness and uncertainty clouded her features. "Hope is what you make of it. It can either be a vision of a better future or it can be reminder of what exactly you don't have and that's the reality".

Foaly was taken aback at his friends statement. Once behind those eyes she had determination and hope. Now, Foaly saw anger and despair and hopelessness behind that hazel and dark blue eye. That blue orb in her skull was one reminder of what she didn't have. The one that once belonged to the human in question. _What happened to her,_ Foaly thought. _Now or never. I have to tell her._

Foaly took a deep breath and took the plunge. "Holly, I can't imagine what you must be going through and I know it's been rough",he started, "but something brutal happened at the manor and we need your field of expertise". Holly didn't reply, instead she just stared into space. "Holly". She finally looked at Holly him. "Please".

She thought about this for a moment. On one hand, it would be good for her to get out and see everyone again. On the other hand, did she really go to the birthplace of all her grief. It was a hard decision but in the end, she made the one she felt was best for everyone.

Holly silently nodded at Foaly. He let a relived sigh. "Okay, but what happened. Is he..."

Foaly shook his head. "This is about Artemis but...not _that_ Artemis"

Holly looked confused. "What do mean, _that_ Artemis...". Slowly she understood. He meant the original Artemis. Her features soon became concerned. "Foaly, you don't mean".

Foaly nodded. "Artemis' grave..."

Holly went from concerned to vengeance seeking. "Foaly!".

He sighed and looked at his elfin friend in the eyes. "...has been stolen from".

The look on Holly face was definitely vengeful and outraged. In honesty Foaly didn't expect her to react like this. This was terrifying.

Holly then raced to her room to get a few things, without saying a word. When she finally came out she had a duffel bag slung onto her shoulder. Foaly just stared at her, afraid to move. She came to the door and stood in the entryway. "You coming, donkey boy", she turned to face him. Foaly just nodded but stayed still.

"Oh, and Holly", he called.

Holly faced the centaur again.

"When were you going to tell me about your hair", he pointed at her new highlights.

She just groaned and rolled her eyes and continued out the complex.

"Uh, excuse me. But I think I have a right to be concerned about these kind of things", he called after her.

"Would you just shut up and move!"

 **So what did you think? Crazy huh. Well don't worry the next chapter will be out soon. KREWELLA FOREVER! Later people.**


	4. Chapter Three: The Unexpected Funeral

**What up people. This is just a quick note to let y'all know that I'm aiming for the Lower Elements Chronicles to be a trilogy so when I'm done with this there will be two sequels. I'm still in the general planning stages so be patient because I SHALL update for you. And I don't own anything but the plot.Okay I'll shut up now, Krewella forever!**

 **-Kaylin H**

 **oooooo**

 **Fowl Manor**

Butler was far from stressed, he was downright confused,worried and outraged all at the same time! Was there even a word for that? Someone had stolen his charge's former body under his watch. Who would do something like that,he thought. What kind of motive would someone have to steel the body of a fifteen year old boy? For the first time in Butler's life, he couldn't think of anyone who had a grudge against the boy. Well, at least no one alive or not currently in prison, unless there was something Artemis didn't tell Butler before his death. Butler supposed it was a possibility that an old enemy could have escaped, but surely they would have heard something by now.

But,what the hell would they want with a dead body, Butler thought to himself. You don't exactly demand ransom for someone who's been dead for eight months. Now that's just ridiculous. No, whoever did this wanted to leave a message. The question was, "what kind of message?". Was it to scare them, or just for spite?

Butler's training did not prepare him for this. It was just to protect your principal no matter the cost. In the end, Butler even failed that task. Butler would not fail the second time. His charge was still barely alive, upstairs. Butler intended to keep it that way. No way would he let Artemis die, not again.

Butler sat in the security room, surfing through hours of tape. His eyes burned from staring at the bright screens. He was determined to find this culprit. Preferably before the rest of the Fowls came back from their retreat. He searched every inch of tape from the last twenty-four hours. Nothing. Not even a single breach in the system. This grave robber was clever, almost too clever.

After another long minute, Butler finally pushed the chair back and rubbed his eyes. He didn't want to stop, but he knew he had to. This event was taking a toll on him already. He looked at the clock mounted on the right. 11:45, almost midnight. He left the security room to check on Juliet and the twins. Juliet was traumatized from that afternoon when she found the open grave. Butler had never seen his sister so broken like that. Well, he guessed that these past few months had made all more fragile. And seeing an open grave without a body was pretty disturbing.

When he walked into the kitchen, he found Juliet and the twins there getting a snack before heading off to bed. It was past their bedtime, but today the Butler siblings made an exception. Juliet needed a distraction from earlier so she had to spend time with the twins.

"Still no word from them?", Butler asked his sister.

Juliet silently shook her head, not looking up at him. While the twins were eating, Juliet sat on a stool, leaning on the island in the middle of the kitchen by her elbows. Her shoulders hunched down as she continued staring off into space. Her eyes still red and puffy. An untouched glass of water sat in front of her.

Foaly left hours ago to track down Holly. If anyone could catch this robber, it was her. Butler knew however, that the good captain was stubborn and heartbroken. The odds of Foaly coming back with a broken nose were high. They knew Holly wanted her space but they all agreed it was time to drag her up here.

Butler sighed, walking over to sit down next to his sister. Juliet didn't even look up, continuing to stare at the wall. Butler placed a large hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?",he asked calmly.

"What do you think?", she spoke for the first time without looking up.

Butler looksed at her, concern written all over his face. Being a bodyguard, Butler learned how to read people just bye the look in their eyes. Juliet's were empty. Butler knew his sister was strong and she would be ready for action in no time, still seeing her like this...

"Juliet, I know that what happened this afternoon was difficult to take in but-"

"'Difficult to take in'?", Juliet faced her brother, shocked. "Really, Dom? I just witnessed a grave that was freaking BROKEN IN TO and all it was just 'difficult to take in'?". Juliet was mortified. Why wasn't her brother taking this more seriously. Artemis was **his** charge. Butler should be preparing for war.

She used his first name. She's furious. "Juliet we all witnessed the grave,but we should be considering what the next attack might be".

"What attack? Are they gonna kill us then dig us up? No! And you're the one who's not taking this seriously. All you've been doing is sitting in that stupid chair all night doing absolutely nothing".

Butler just stared at his sister. "You don't think I'm doing anything? I have been sitting at that desk for hours on end,watching the monitors and trying to solve this mess".

"Oh and how did that work out for ya!"

"There wasn't even a security breach until the alarm went off. Not one thing was out of place", Butler tried to explain.

"Of coarse there wasn't. What kind of criminal is moronic enough to leave the cameras alone. Who even puts a camera on tombstone? A freaking tombstone!".

"Juliet."

"No,Butler. I'm done with this nonsense. We need to take action ourselves. I seriously doubt that Holly will be able to do anything".

Not this conversation again. "Juliet, I know you're upset with Holly but-", he was cut off by another one of Juliet's rants.

"Holly has done nothing to help us, to help _him._ Do you really think she'll help us now",she pleaded.

Butler stared thoughtfully towards his sister. He had to take her words into consideration. In a way, Juliet was right. Holly has done absolutely nothing for Artemis or them, whose to say that she would now. For two months all Holly got was sympathy instead of encouragement. Perhaps now was the time to shine a new light.

The twins,who where quietly watching this argument unfold, were oblivious to the whole situation All they picked was the fact that an item had been stolen that afternoon and all the Butler's were doing was watching a grave. Well Myles tried his best to connect the pieces while Beckett was pulling his sandwich apart and making figures with the turkey. Butler was about to speak when Myles beat him to it.

"Butler, Juliet?",the siblings turned their attention to the four year old. "Is something going to happen to Arty? And what happened with Holly?". Beckett looked up from his food creations to join in the conversation. Both he and his twin have been concerned with their older brother and wanted in. For four year olds, the two had a strong intellect of the sorts,even Beckett who had been deemed an 'idiot' by Myles. All they want is know the truth. Of coarse the two have the knowledge of fairy kinds' existence, hence their knowledge of Holly whom they've grown very fond of. They thought of Holly like a sister and held the same concern for her.

Butler gave the young boys a sad smile. "Boys, Holly has just been wanting space for awhile. She's having a hard time because of your brother's condition and that is why she hasn't been able to visit", he tried to explain to the boys. Butler could see that the fact they haven't seen Holly because of Artemis' health made their sad expressions harden. "As for your brother, he should be fine as long as you two don't try to break into his room again". Butler glared at them, playfully, trying to lighten the mood.

Beckett reddened from embarrassment while Myles' eyes widened. Butler turned to Juliet who was glaring daggers at him. She was about to storm out the kitchen when Butler's ringtone filled the silence. He took the device from his pocket then accepted the call.

"Yes?"

Foaly's voice was on the other end. "Butler, it's me. Get Juliet and meet me outside,now."- the line went dead.

Butler looked up at Juliet who had an eyebrow raised. "That was Foaly. We're meeting him outside", he said flatly.

Juliet groaned as her brother already walked out the door. "You don't say."

 **oooooo**

As Foaly cut off the connection, he landed the borrowed LEP shuttle in the field just outside the front door. 

He glanced towards Holly who didn't speak the entire ride. She sat in the copilot's chair, eyeing the control panel with that longing need in her eyes. Once safely landed, Holly unbuckled herself from the chair then moved to the automatic door like a robot. She waited as Foaly made his way over to type in the code for the door. Foaly had this shuttle made for his own, personal use;it therefore included more security features than a standard LEP shuttle. 

Foaly trotted out with Holly shadowing behind like what humans like to call an 'emo teenager'. As the cool, midnight air touched Holly's skin she couldn't help but remember what it was like to fly on the surface-even the few times she'd visited her best friend at his bedroom window at night, trying to find an excuse to see him. _Not anymore._

Foaly noticed his friend's expression fall when she first caught sight of the Victorian front doors. How Holly was able to endure the knowledge of the 'incident', Foaly was not sure. Maybe the old captain was still in there somewhere.

The two saw the doors swing open as the Butlers came rushing out. As soon as they saw Holly, they stopped in their tracks. _To be expected,_ she thought. After being gone for so long, she had no way of telling how they would feel if she suddenly showed up on their doorstep. Would the hug or shoot her? 

She stood beside Foaly as the two walked up to greet them. Butler's reaction surprised her. He walked up to her and smiled, hopefully.

"Good to see you, Captain." he said, shaking her hand. 

"You too,old friend."She smiled. 

Holly turned to Juliet who did not look very pleased to see Holly. Juliet folded her arms over her chest, refusing to look the elf in the eyes. Holly didn't exactly expect a warm welcome in these conditions, but, she did not want her friends angry with her;even if she was angry with herself. Holly took a deep breath and stood before Juliet. The young women finally raised her head to gaze at Holly, who extended her hand to Juliet. Juliet hesitantly, took the hand and shook it. Holly smiled warmly, as Juliet relinquished her hand and silently nodded.

 _Now back to business,Short._ "Butler, I'm afriad this isn't a good time for a reunion. What happened?" Holly asked. 

Butler's expression turned grave, as he inspected their surroundings. He jerked his head in the direction of the Victorian door, indicating that they go inside. They all followed suit and entered the manor,all looking out towards the estate, skeptically. For they couldn't know if the culprit could be watching that very second. 

**oooooo**

"So, the robber left no trace at all?", Holly wondered. "Impossible. There's got to something we can use."

"I agree, Captain. But, this robber had resources. It was like they knew the manor, how to get around unnoticed.",Butler spoke up. 

The gang met in one of the conference rooms to get Holly up to speed. Foaly brought up his computer to document what they knew. Holly was pacing back and forth, trying to make sense of this. 

"They knew how to get around",she muttered to herself. "Is it possible this grave robber is an old friend of ours?" 

"We thought about that too.",Foaly jumped in. "There's no one alive who the Mud Boy had issues with. Well except for Spiro, but he's still in prison. And grave robbery is to messy for his style".

"Artemis is the son of a former Irish mobster,and there's no one who could still have an axe to grind?",Holly offered. 

"Point taken,however the news of Artemis' death in the first place might have caused them all to lay off.",Foaly said as a matter of factly. 

The room went quiet again. The only thing they could hear were their own thoughts as they pondered their next move on the situation. They would first have to figure out what the situation was. They had no evidence, no trace, no suspects, no nothing! The enemy was a cunning cat, probably mocking them this very instant;or maybe they've been spending too much time with Foaly and his rants.

Holly paced back and forth,back and forth, assessing the facts. This was part of her training. Tracking down dirtbags and petty theives. _How do you track someone who can't be tracked?,_ she thought. The pieces of the puzzle were to scattered to be put together. Someone who knew the manor well and left without a trace, quite possibly a fairy, but this was Artemis Fowl they were talking about. If a fairy had robbed the manor, his technology would certainly catch them. So how did they get past the trigger in the first place? The big question. Butler had said that the trigger was the most sensitive out of all the alarm systems.

Holly knew that Artemis had been working relentlessly on the whole system before the berserker incident. She remembered calling him one day while he was working on it and getting a very long,tiring speech from him on why he was being so thorough. Holly smiled at the memory. She hadn't even thought about Artemis until now. Her smile faded as she realized why she hasn't visited in the first place.

"How is he?" she asked in a meek voice.

Butler looked up as the elf spoke. "He..." Butler struggled to find his voice. "He hasn't been getting worse, but he isn't getting any better."

Holly nodded, still deep in thought. She didn't even think to ask about his condition before. She always had to find constant distractions for herself to keep her mind off Artemis. Normally when something happened, she would bury herself in her work as a distraction. Being in the LEP reminded her too much of their adventures.

Juliet who sat quietly in a corner, finally spoke up after a long time of silence. "I'm gonna go check on him."

Foaly moves out of her way so Juliet could walk out the conference room.

Again the room was silent. Foaly just rolled his eyes and looked at Holly. "So, any ideas, Captain?"

Holly kept pacing. "The robber couldn't have been a human. No, this is too clean for humans." She declared. "It's obvious a that a fairy did this, but your right. I can't think of any other fairy that would have..." Holly trailed off, deep in thought.

Foaly and Butler both glanced at each other then back to Holly curiously. "Would have what, Holly?" The centaur urged.

Holly's head shot up so quickly, you could almost see the lightbulb above her. "I might have an idea about who-"

She was cut off by the sound of glass breaking and someone screaming, echoing through the manor.


	5. ChapterFour:ForWhomTheBellTolls

**What's up fellow readers. Sorry the last chapter was a bit short. Also for the weird thing with the paragraphs, my program was being a jerk. Also sorry for the long wait, I just started High School and things have been getting busy. Oh I'm also writing three new fics for you guys! Really excited to share them with you guys! ON WITH THE STORY!!!!**

 **oooooo**

Fowl Manor, Now

It all seemed to happen so quickly. Holly never expected to return to the manor under circumstances like these, or maybe at all. One thing lead to another and she was back trying to solve a grave robbery. Now these kinds of crimes weren't generally what Recon officers dealt with, nevertheless, she felt like she was back in her field. In some ways it felt good to have that rush again. In others, it hurts more than getting shot with a Neutrino on the highest setting. Holly couldn't decide if she ought to thank Foaly or smack him when this is all over.

Now back to reality; as they searched every room for Juliet, the worry seemed to grow more and more. They rushed out of the conference room at the same time, calling the young girl's name. Holly checked the rooms on the east hallway where some guest bedrooms along with an extra storage space for cleaning supplies were. Meanwhile, Butler checked the west hallway where most of the bedrooms were. Artemis's room and his study were on the third floor, always wanting his privacy. Foaly stayed in the conference room, he stated that he just wasn't fit for these kinds of things and would be better off checking the cameras for Juliet, of course they were already out the door.

Holly searched her last room,still no Juliet, and joined Butler in the twins' bedroom. The bedroom was a decent sized nursery, with toys and diagrams scattered about. Holly could see their 'experiments' growing out of the jars set on the small table.

"Anything?"

Butler silently shook his head. Holly has never seen Butler look this frightened. He's a bodyguard for Frond's sake. She knew he was supposed to be alert but she also knew how much Juliet means to him.

"Hey, we'll find her", she tried to reassure him.

Butler didn't even look the elf in the eye. He was about to storm out of the room when he froze. Holly looked at him, they obviously shared the same idea where to look next. They both bolted out of the room and up the stairs to the third floor.

When the two found their destination Holly stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart began to race as she stood before the wide, Victorian door with security locks. She knew what was behind that door. Who was behind that door.

Everything seemed so far away now, Holly didn't even notice Butler rushing to unlock the door. Was she ready? All that time she spent hiding from her troubles, she never even thought about a time where she'd emerge from the dark. But she didn't have time for emotions now.

Holly remembered her training. She took a deep breath and pushed all feelings aside. It was only her and her mission. Well this wasn't really a mission but you seem to get the point.

Butler managed to get the lock open with the key-card and silently signaled Holly to follow behind. Butler pulled out his Sig Sauer and walked through the door.

Holly had only been in Artemis's room a few times, although she didn't seem to have any memory of the hospital equipment crowding the room. Artemis's sleeping quarters were about the size as Holly's Apartment. It dark with only a small amount of moonlight peering through the curtains and the. It had basic bedroom furniture, bed,desk,fancy sofa. Well this being Artemis Fowl's bedroom, everything was far from basic. It contained some materials he had used for some inventions that were now covered with dust and a few artifacts that he had probably stolen at a certain point of his life.

Classic Mud Boy, Holly thought to herself.

She and Butler scoured the space for any signs of struggle. It seemed quite enough... too quiet. Holly did find a pieces of a broken vase that was, most likely, the source of the noise they heard The two finally heard a slip of a shoe paired with a hushed whimper. It came from the closet.

Butler and Holly shared a nod. He pointed his gun out and came to the closet door. The elf trailed close behind. They each positioned themselves on each side of the door and waited. Holly could see Butler mouth 'on three'.

One... two...

Three!

In just one motion, Butler grabbed the brass handle and the door and jerked the door open. Holly didn't look inside but she noticed that Butler lowered his gun immediately. When she peeked in what she saw was the missing Butler sibling, bawling her eyes out.

"Juliet, thank god", Butler grabbed his sister and pulled her into his embrace. It was different seeing Juliet like this, she was usually just as on guard as her brother. Well it has been a hard two months.

When Juliet pulled away from her brother, Holly heard her whisper something she couldn't understand.

"Juliet what's wrong, did you see something?", Holly urges her.

This time Juliet stayed silent. She did, however, pointed a shaking finger towards a silhouette that Holly identified as Artemis's bed.

Holly walked towards the queen sized bed, lined with hospital equipment.With a closer look, she realized why it had been so quiet. The monitors were off. This was peculiar, why would they be off? There was something else wrong. Most of the sheets had been ripped off to the side of the bed, like when someone falls out with the blankets wrapped around them. There was some kind of struggle

She leaned over the bed, her heart pounding. Months of nightmares were coming to life as she scoured the space. She had never been this terrified in all her days. Holly had been dreading something like this would happen after that fateful day in the conference room. Still she remembered her training. Put all feelings aside.

There was a human sized lump under the sheets. Holly hesitated at first, but then, in one quick motion, she ripped the sheets from the mattress. No Artemis. What she did find was the monitor wires with small traces of blood. They had been ripped from his skin.

There was only one more place to look. Holly walked to the other side of the bed where the sheets had gathered. Again she hesitated, the 'what if's' began to swirl in her mind. What if Artemis isn't under there and has been taken? What if he's not okay? What if I never see him again?

Holly pushed the thoughts in the deepest corner of her mind and focused. With both hands, she grabbed a handful of sheets and yanked them from the floor. Holly heard Juliet and Butler gasped as they saw what she had uncovered. Holly tossed the blankets onto the bed and looked to see what was in front of her.

What she saw made her wish this was one of her nightmares. Tears began to form in her eyes as she sank onto the floor in front of Artemis's limp body. There he was, as pale as the dead.And he wasn't breathing. Holly imagined the reunion with her best friend, and it wasn't with him in this horrible state. She noticed how time has changed him and how despite his condition, he'd really grown up. But this wasn't the happy reunion she had been hoping for. Shaking, she reached a hand to his neck and placed two fingers.

Holly shifted her body to face the Butlers. She couldn't even look at them as she shook her head. She heard Butler whisper "No" and Juliet's sobs grew louder. Holly fell to her knees and let all the feelings she pushed aside free. Her tears wet the wooden floor as she realized her nightmares had become reality.

Her best friend was dead. Artemis Fowl the Second was dead, for good this time. There was no grand scheme, no miraculous escape. He was gone. Holly Short would never see her best friend again.

Or that's what they believed.


End file.
